Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-09-16
LIFE IN EGYPT.
A Land Where Nothing Is Ever Done In
"A Hurry.

A correspondent thus seductively de-
scribes the sweetness Of doing nothing in
modern Cairo: When one is fairly in
Egypt, floating softly on the undulated
tide of life in Cairo, one wonders why
ones time aud adjoctives were wasted on
Europe; why people are ever cOntonted 10
stop short of the desert.
Cairo, with its strange history and
stranger streets, its mosques and bazaars,
is charming study. All nations meet
here, and of all wonderful costumes and
merchandise there is no end. In this
sweetest of Winter climates life seems too
short TO be in hurry, indeed. it is not
worth living unless one can loiter The
donkeys and cats alone would make "a
lifelong study, when they lift up their
voices either singly or in concert the very
stars in Heaven quake, and the moon
turns pale and trcmbles And thea there
are the people who own the cats and ride
the donkeys-seyeral decades might be de
voted TO them. An Egyptian woman is
an object when on foot; but when she
mounts a donkey she is vision To be-
gin with she rides on both sides of the
animal, and when her curious black drap.
cry bags out in the wind and the donkey
disappears, save that his big ears aud
small legs twinkle occasionally into view,
sensations fade, words fail, and one feels
the need of food and nourshmcnt Dodg-
ing under camcls, stepping over dogs and
children, pushing aside donkcys and
people, one finds narrow alley leading
of the Mouskee, and seeming to wind its
tortuous way into strange places. one or
| two smaller alleys turn oil; then, before
you rises a low archci way. The shadow
Is very deep; You are evidently under
house, and II keen wind, like that in
narrow mountain dctlc, nearly takes your
hat OF \ wide gate stands OPEN one
moment takes you through, past the group
of guardian Arabs; YOU turn Il corner, and
before you opens the beautiful garden of
the hotel.
Sycamorcs and acacias bend and droop
over the flower beds; roses and lcur dc .ys
wave in the wind great bambOos, more
than forty feet high, sway with long,
slow motion; the red hibiscus burns like
fire in the grim gloom; the shadOWy pines
whisper softly 10 the fresh winds coming
in from the desert, the little wagtails hop
about the path; the doves mourn their
hearts out in the trcctops, the cloudll>s,
rainless sky spreads blue above, and the
sun comes down between the leaves in Il
thousand golden streams.
Occasionally the sweet stiffness is dis
turbed by personally conducted mob;
but fortunately not often. People WnJ
know how TO live in Egypt, come here.
and life goes on as it should IN the land Of
the lotus Excursions are made easily;
sights are seen intelligcntly; there is quiet
talk and peaceful thought here in tie fra
grant garden. An artist paints with Arab
and Fcllah models grouped in the sun
shine on The piazza; further on an English
man sits translating an Arab book, still
further down the vine GrapCd vista, some
Arab sheiks are beginning with knowing
Psychologists for antiqucs-sCarabs ami
ugly little gods-straugc Old rings ana
Coptic embroidcrics.
Down in the garden the artists wiic and
an American woman drum softly on duIs-
bukkan, while on the path in front of them
tcIlah girl knccls, trying faithfully To
teach them a native song. Strange and
wild il Is. with an unaccountabic measure
that can only be learned 10y ear not by
method Near by a Conjurcr does lis mar
velous tricks, his mysterious call of gala.
gala, now and then rising above the bar
barrie song An East India merchant with
his rich stuils spread over chairs AND
benches, his gold and silver ware, glitter
ing in the sunlight chattcrs per-ua,ivcy
with a group OF people who try yaiuly to
look sufficiently indifferent TO make him
lower his prices. The MONDAY sun is blaz-
Ing overhead; the birds are still, and the
roses droop little; but sitting quietly in
the shade II is not 50 bad and the desert
wind coming over the garden Of a neigh
boring shcik, has Il crisp, cool touch To ID.
Later the scene dissOlvcs, and the com.
pany 90 their different ways TO meet AGAIN
Sc D.. 81
light. Then cigars and talk of The oay
dOings stories OF odd adventures, storic, Of
odd times, when they first came down
into Egypt, and 50 the pleasant days driu
BY.